Guest book review by Jaffalogue

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I read this book immediately after finishing The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss. Admittedly, that’s a tough act to follow. As a reader, I jump genres often so while I have read some sci-fi, I would not consider myself a sci-fi reader. That said, I enjoyed where this book took me and will definitely be looking for the next in the series to come out.

Early sections of the book had me thinking of The City of Ember (Book of Ember, #1) by Jeanne DuPrau, the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling [mostly due to the author’s notes], and The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The latter deserves comparison, though I was glad that Red Rising quickly established how it was different than a fantasy. The story felt organic and more fully filled out its world than the Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series, which was fully satisfying.

I was also appreciative of the story not being YA-voiced despite the youth of the protagonist.

Predictable plot and predictable characters irk me. I do not want to be continuously more in the know than the characters or else their discovery process can become tedious. This is not a problem here in the least. I discovered as the main character discovered. I was not able to guess at the deeper meaning and role of certain characters before they embraced or revealed that role. I truly have no idea where the second book will take me, and I love that fact.

Guest review contributed by Jaffalogue. With a master’s degree in poetry writing, Jaffa has a handle on how to interpret words. He reviews many styles, but enjoys giving anthologies exposure they often don’t get.